


Out Of The Blue

by Lwoorl



Series: Blue Things [1]
Category: Blue Beetle (Comics), DCU, DCU (Comics), Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Fluff, Idiots in Love, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-28
Updated: 2019-08-28
Packaged: 2020-09-28 19:38:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20431361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lwoorl/pseuds/Lwoorl
Summary: He thinks he might like Jaime.He thinks he might like the Scarab.Or, the small realizations of your standard timetraveler speedster.





	Out Of The Blue

When Bart goes back in time, he's mentally prepared to be around Blue Beetle, get close to him, make sure he doesn't get captured, make sure his future never happens. He's ready to laugh and joke like that isn't the face he sees in his nightmares, the goddamn voice he hears when he closes his eyes. 

It shouldn't be easy. He doesn't _ expect _ it to be easy. And yet, it is. 

Because, even though he already knew Blue Beetle was being controlled by the Reach, even though he was aware it wasn't  _ really _ him. He still isn't expecting Jaime to be such a… A genuinely nice person. 

He's kind, and patient. He's fine with having him around and happily follows whatever adventure Bart drags him into. They get along fairly well, and even though sometimes seeing him in full armor forces Bart to avert his eyes, he really likes it when they spend time together. 

They become friends, and it continues even after the invasion is stopped. Even after there isn't any need for it, and Bart discovers he was never faking it at all, not at the beginning, not now.

One day, he's at Jaime's place, as usual. They're watching a movie, one of those horror ones where the characters make all the wrong choices and you want to yell at them not to enter into the abandoned cabin in the woods. Those that Bart genuinely likes. 

He's a bit hungry, as usual, but also so immersed into the story he can't bring himself to stand up and raid Jaime's fridge. He's so invested, in fact, he doesn't even notice when his stomach growls, or when Jaime takes out his phone to call somewhere, and absolutely doesn't notice when the bell rings and Jaime stands up to open the door, not bothering to pause the thing. 

The only thing that finally tears his focus away from the screen is the smell of melted cheese, and when he turns around Jaime's holding a pizza box towards him. 

"When did you-?"

"Your stomach's been making sounds like it's going to eat itself for the last thirteen minutes, I thought it would be a good idea getting something to eat." 

"Oh." 

Bart takes a slice and starts biting into it, his eyes going back to the movie. It's not until the credits start rolling that he notices Jaime didn't take a single slice for himself.

He doesn't seem to mind, just smiles and asks Bart if he wants to put on another movie.

He thinks he might like Jaime.

He always knew the scarab was its own thing, sort of, kind of. It's hard to miss when one spends so much time around Jaime, how it sometimes starts arming itself, how it will do stuff that goes against what Jaime wants. So when he's told it's his own person, it isn't too hard to believe. 

He always supposed it was like a machine with automatic responses implanted into it, and it's only when Bart starts thinking of the scarab as some  _ one  _ and not some _ thing  _ that he realizes those actions aren't just "if danger then weapon" codes, but parts of his overall personality. 

Once you know what to look for, it's actually surprisingly easy to separate him from Jaime. Specially when, over time, they slowly starts sharing control a bit more. 

As soon as he enters a room, the Scarab's eyes will trail around looking for all the exits, and even after he realizes building a cannon isn't the answer to any and all perceived threats, he still will tense and take a defensive position anytime there's a loud sound. He likes standing with his back against a wall, and he's more relaxed on open spaces. 

He's defensive, and fast to make a choice, to catalogue stuff as enemy and ally... But not malicious, not like Bart originally thought. He always thinks what he does is helpful, even when it isn't, and soon the words "What did the scarab say?" Start to become a part of Bart's day to day vocabulary. 

He's… Nice, on its own way. The Scarab seems serious and stiff at first, but soon Bart realizes he's just a sarcastic little shit with a dry sense of humor who has no idea how humans work. He'll complain and try to do stuff his way, saying he knows best, but at the end always backs down when he's told to stop, trusting Jaime to know better. Trusting those he trusts, doubting everyone else, a weird contradiction. He likes having him around, Bart realizes. 

It's easy, normal, almost instinctive the way his thoughts shift from "I'm hanging out with Jaime" to "I'm hanging out with Jaime AND the Scarab" and even though Jaime's still by far the one with more presence, between small details and conversations delivered through a third party Bart starts thinking of him as a friend too. 

They're walking on the street as civilians. It's a nice day, the sun is out and birds sing and all that stuff. Suddenly, there's a loud sound, and Bart almost drops his ice cream turning around to see the cause. 

At the end it's nothing important, someone who tripped or a piano falling from a building or something, who knows. But when next to him, Jaime- No,  _ The Scarab  _ takes a defensive stance, his hand moves to grab one of Bart's arms, taking a step to stand in front of him.

He quickly relaxes, his shoulders lose that stiffness and his posture goes back to be all Jaime, but the hand remains. Holding onto Bart's wrist, hard enough to hurt, in a way that's so completely un-Jaime-like. 

He thinks he might like the Scarab. 

It should be something important, surprising and shocking, but it really isn't. 

He isn't sure why it isn't, but that's just how things are. It's like when you find out C3PO always had a silver leg, or notice a tiny scar under your elbow you never knew was there. Your eyes open up a little, and then you shrug and life goes on. 

At the end not much changes, they keep going on missions and playing video games just as often. And, well, if Bart develops a newfound appreciation for cuddles, or if he starts standing closer to them than necessary, that isn't too different from how he's always been, right? 

A part of him thinks he probably should do something, tell them, show it, something. But his experience on liking other people previous to this amounts to a round zero, not much time for romance during an apocalypse after all... And, it might be selfish, but he has to admit he kind of wants to be the one courted, not the pretender. Wants to have flowers shoved on his face and chocolates on Valentine and some red faced hero approaching to ask him out. 

He has the suspicion the feeling's mutual, anyway. If only because of the way Jaime will stare at him when he thinks Bart won't notice, or how the Scarab will stop to listen to him when he has an idea during a mission. 

...If neither of them say anything by New Year's Eve, he's just going to kiss them and ask for a date. 

**Author's Note:**

> As always please remember to comment!!!!!!! Comments are really important to me!!!! ✨💕✨💕


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